Back after 70 years – here is IFK Rättvik’s unlikely journey

Between 1948 and 1951, IFK Rättvik made three straight seasons in the highest league in bandy.

Since then, the club from the town with almost 5,000 inhabitants has not reached the same heights again. Until this year.

For next season, the club is back in the top tier.

In the second of two thrilling qualifying matches against Gripen, the club secured from Dalarna last weekend the advancement to the elite series on additional time.

– It is clear that you will be happy and happy, says the club’s longtime sports manager Dan Hjelm to DN.

Helmet, which itself has a long playing career behind him, it was not entirely easy to deal with the emotions once it was decided.

– You become completely powerless and it is not a funny feeling. Then they make it 3-2 in the 90th minute, then it’s over. But then we score after a few minutes, which makes us go up. But it’s shitty. This very thing of not being able to influence is the difference between playing, it is something completely different.

In addition, he had his sons Jesper and Viktor in the team.

– It’s extra cool to have your children in this. It’s an extra spice. It’s awesome, a fun experience.

However, he had no major problems digesting the advancement.

– Somewhere I’m pretty collected anyway. I know what a long journey we are on and this is part of it, to get up. But I also see that it will be so cool that I just look ahead.

How has the support in the city been since the advancement became clear?

– Ha ha, the town was good to take in. In the village, or the community, you see the headlines about the elite series at every shop. It is great for us and many have heard of it and want to be part of the future and support us. It is a support that is very strong.

To watch on what the journey to the elite series looked like, we have to go back a few years.

In the 2017/2018 season, IFK Rättvik played in the series during the Allsvenskan, division 1.

– Then I said as sports manager that “this is not possible, we have to find something we stand for”. Then I went out to Sweden to scout and find 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds. We wanted to find players we can have over a long period of time. Because we had an indoor arena, we had good stuff around sports here, but we did not have the team, says Hjelm.

In the spring of 2018, the club joined the Allsvenskan. After three seasons in the second highest series, it is now ready for the elite series. A trip it did not count on would go so fast.

– It’s really remarkable and I did not think we were ready for the elite series really. We were not very good in the Allsvenskan two years ago and came sixth or seventh, but we have taken small steps along the way.

When other teams recruited established elite players, Rättvik has had to build a team over time with players aged 18 to 21.

– If you get to play together a team over a few years, it will be good energy and that is what we have done here. Then it is natural that we have become good. Many other clubs buy ready-made players, for example, but we do not have those opportunities.

Another success factor is the bandy hall in Rättvik. It was completed in 2010 and is now being expanded with a gym, new changing rooms and a sports hall.

– There is a basis for success, says Hjelm.

One of those behind the good conditions are Conny Gesar. The man who helped start the gaming company Expekt, which was later sold for over a billion kronor. He is known as a bandy fan and has been a driving force in the arena construction where he has entered with multi-million sums.

– There is nothing I could have done myself, says Hjelm and continues:

– I’m only a small part when I work with the sporting part, because I’m not myself behind this. But what we have done is that we have believed in an idea. Sure, you have driven in the ditch sometimes but then you have had to straighten it.

Now Dan Hjelm wants to, together with head coach Peter Törnberg, establish the team in the highest league in earnest. Because they will not only play in the elite series and be happy to have gotten there.

– If we keep in mind that it was a little easier to get up this year when no teams qualify from above… With that, we have a fairly large task to build a team and an economy for this. The goal for us will be to establish ourselves in the series over time, says Hjelm and continues:

– I am aware that it is a big goal but I do not see that we can aim for anything else. With the arena and organization we have, I think it is possible.

Who is next in line to lift? Hjelm thinks this is the club’s women’s team.

– The ladies in the Allsvenskan can probably go up in the elite series in a few years and that is also such an important part. The girls’ and women’s teams are at least as important.

Read more:

After 90 years – AIK plays the Swedish Championship final in bandy again

Sandviken hit hard by corona: “Only four players who are not positive”

The women’s final will be played on Saturday – the men’s final on Easter Eve

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